5 ways of handling conflict in a praise team or choir

The other day I was in a cafeteria eating and I overheard some ladies that belong to a gospel choir talking about a member of their choir who performed at a concert, about how they should have done a better job.

Have you ever dealt with a situation where some musicians feel they should be the ones playing instead of the other person? Or where singers feel they should be chosen to lead the praise or sing the solos to a song?

Somehow it creates a tense atmosphere within the praise team or choir though no one wants to speak about it.

What to do!

Clear definition of roles among singers and musicians- Some people have the ability to play several instruments. There should be proper coordination to avoid a situation where people would be moving from one instrument to the other at their own will.

Avoid showing preferences- Everyone should be given equal treatment, it increases the need to commit. Many times inequality in the way people are treated generates strife and envy.

Having good and capable leadership- The leader should be a person that is to a great extent, beyond reproach and should not be part of the problem or conflict.

Unbiased pastoral interference- In handling conflicts, a holistic look at the issue involved would help to create a balanced judgment. Not being quick to point accusing fingers saves a lot of heartaches.

Even distribution of roles among musicians and singers- It adds variety to praise and worship songs when different singers and players are given opportunity to minister.

Praying for one another- most people go through a lot of issues they have not been able to and/or cannot share. Most outward expressions are reflections of the state of our minds.

Conflicts will always try to arise where there are two or more people gathered, primarily because we would differ in ideas and thoughts concerning issues.

A good friend of mine said it better “It does not really matter who leads, the goal is to get the job done good (by the whole team)”. It calls for teamwork!

There is no limit to the effectiveness of our praise and worship when we better understand how to deal with avoidable conflicts.

photo credit: William Doran via photopin cc

Effective and blissful worship experience

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The worship experience is one in which so much is expected due to it’s sacredness and meaning. Knowing what to do when it comes to preparing for worship usually prevents lots of undesirable occurrences during worship services: whether it is the worship leader not singing in the correct key to the instrumentalists not playing along with the singers.

It really does not take much to turn off the congregation from worshiping, and when that happens, the whole essence of the worship is lost. A vibrant and heartfelt worship experience is still possible if the right singer and the right songs are deployed.

The right singer- The right singer represents a collection of several characteristics, which include

a-    Maturity- (Both Spiritual and Musical) this will be needful because worship is a spiritual activity that requires a good sense of musical understanding.

b-    Knowledgeable- In the word and mysteries of God.

c-     Good communication- Be able to teach new songs and communicate appropriately with the congregation.

 The right song- There is always everything good and okay in singing the right songs that are relevant and understandable. Knowing where the congregation is and what it requires in terms of song choice makes worship memorable. Spiritual songs being released spontaneously make the worship experience great.